Driving Tests

Florida Move Over Law: Change Lanes or Slow to 20 MPH Below the Limit

informational·how to guide·Published March 30, 2026

What does the Florida Move Over Law require?

Florida's Move Over Law covers emergency, tow, sanitation, utility and road work vehicles and disabled cars on the roadside. With two or more lanes in your direction, leave the closest lane as soon as it is safe. If not, slow to 20 mph below the limit. On a two-lane road, slow to 20 mph below a limit of 25 mph or more, or to 5 mph at 20 or less.

Where the Move Over Law facts come from

The rule comes from section 316.126 of the 2026 Florida Statutes. The fine comes from section 318.18 and the points from section 322.27 of the same statutes. The driver tips come from the Official Florida Driver License Handbook and the Visiting Florida FAQs of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Where the handbook and the law differ, this guide follows the law. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (flhsmv.gov) before you drive.

Which vehicles the Move Over Law protects

Which vehicles the Move Over Law protects
Vehicle	When the law covers it
Authorized emergency vehicle	It displays any visual signals and is parked on the roadside
Sanitation vehicle	It performs a task related to sanitation services on the roadside
Utility service vehicle	It performs a task related to utility services on the roadside
Wrecker	It displays amber rotating or flashing lights and performs a recovery or loading on the roadside
Road and bridge maintenance or construction vehicle	It displays warning lights and is on the roadside without advance signs and channelizing devices
Disabled motor vehicle	It is stopped and shows warning or hazard lights, uses emergency flares or signage, or has one or more persons visibly present

Does the law cover a car with hazard lights?

Yes. You must move over, or slow down, for a disabled motor vehicle that is stopped and shows warning lights or hazard lights. The rule also applies when the stopped vehicle uses emergency flares or posts emergency signage, or when one or more persons are visibly present, even with no lights on. Any one of these signs is enough. A car on the shoulder with its hazards on gets the same room as a patrol car with its lights on.

Multi-lane road: move over, or slow to 20 mph below the limit

The lane rule applies on an interstate or other highway with two or more lanes in the direction you travel. As soon as it is safe, move out of the lane closest to the stopped vehicle. If traffic does not let you change lanes safely, the law sends you to the two-lane speed rule: slow to 20 mph below a posted limit of 25 mph or more. On a highway posted at 55 mph, that is 35 mph. Check yourself with the free practice question on passing a disabled car with hazard lights on a 55 mph highway.

Two-lane roads and officer directions

You drive on a two-lane road and the posted limit is 25 mph or more

Slow to a speed that is 20 mph less than the posted limit. A 45 mph limit becomes 25 mph.

You drive on a two-lane road and the posted limit is 20 mph or less

Travel at 5 mph.

A law enforcement officer directs you to do something else

Follow the officer. The law allows this exception to the lane rule and the speed rule.

How to pass a stopped vehicle on the roadside

1
Look ahead for the signs
Flashing lights, hazard lights, flares, signage, or a person beside a stopped vehicle all show that the law can apply.
2
Check your lanes
Count the lanes in your direction. With two or more, plan to leave the lane closest to the vehicle.
3
Signal and move over
Signal, check your mirrors, and change lanes as soon as it is safe.
4
Slow down if you cannot move over
Drop to 20 mph below the posted limit. Where the limit is 20 mph or less, travel at 5 mph.
5
Make room for others
If you are not in the closest lane, be ready to let other drivers move into your lane.

Fine and points for a Move Over violation

A violation of section 316.126 is a noncriminal traffic infraction, and the law punishes a Move Over violation as a moving violation. Section 318.18 sets a $30 fine for a Move Over violation under s. 316.126(1)(b). Court costs must be paid in addition to the stated fine, so the amount on the ticket is higher. A conviction adds 3 points to your record, or 4 points when the violation causes a crash. With 12 points within 12 months, your license can be suspended for up to 30 days. Under 18? Read about Florida teen driver points and penalties.

What the handbook adds, and why it matters for the test

The Official Florida Driver License Handbook adds two tips for a multi-lane road: signal your lane change, and if you are not in the closest lane, be ready to let other drivers move into your lane. It lists "Obey the Move Over law" among its driving tips, and its study questions include "What does the Move Over Law require you to do?" To see how a question on this topic can look, try the free practice question on approaching a protected roadside vehicle. Our practice questions are not real exam questions. For another roadside rule, read our guide to the Florida school bus stop law.

Key takeaways

Act as soon as it is safe when a covered vehicle is stopped on the roadside, also a disabled car with hazard lights, flares, signage or people beside it.
With two or more lanes in your direction, leave the closest lane. If you cannot, slow to 20 mph below the posted limit.
On a two-lane road, slow to 20 mph below a limit of 25 mph or more. Travel at 5 mph when the limit is 20 mph or less.
A violation is a moving violation: a $30 fine in section 318.18 plus court costs, and 3 points on your record.
Next step: practice on the free Florida Class E Knowledge practice test.

Florida Move Over Law: common questions

Do I have to move over for a police car parked with its lights on?

Yes. On a road with two or more lanes in your direction, FLHSMV says to vacate the lane closest to a parked emergency or law enforcement vehicle as soon as it is safe. If you cannot move over safely, slow to 20 mph below the posted limit, unless an officer directs you otherwise.

Is moving over the same as pulling over for an ambulance with its siren on?

No. That is a different rule in the same law. When an emergency vehicle comes toward you on its way to an emergency, with a siren or with blue or red lights, yield the right-of-way. Move as close as reasonable to the closest edge of the curb, clear of any intersection, and stop until it has passed, unless an officer directs you otherwise.

Does the Move Over Law cover tow trucks and garbage trucks?

Yes. The law covers a wrecker (a tow truck) when it displays amber rotating or flashing lights and performs a recovery or loading on the roadside. It also covers a sanitation vehicle, such as a garbage truck, when it performs a sanitation task on the roadside. Move over or slow down for each of them the same way.

Is breaking the Move Over Law a crime?

No. It is a noncriminal traffic infraction, not a criminal offense. But the law punishes it as a moving violation. Section 318.18 sets a $30 fine for it, court costs are added to that fine, and a conviction adds 3 points to your driving record.

What if a police officer at the scene waves me on?

Follow the officer. The law makes an exception to both the lane rule and the speed rule when a law enforcement officer directs you otherwise. In all other cases, move out of the closest lane as soon as it is safe, or slow down as the law requires for your road.